Machine for use in scouring either wool and other animal fibers or vegetable fibers



June 20, 1933.

E. V. HAYES-GEATZE MACHINE FOR' USE IN SCOURING EITHER wooL AND OTHERANIMAL FIBERS OR VEGETABLE FIBERS Filed Dec. 21, 1931 EM E Patented June20, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT FFEE EUGENE VICTOR HAYES-GRATZE, OFLONDON, ENGLAND MACHINE IEOR USE IN SCOUBING EITHER WOOL AND OTHERANIMAL FIBERS OR Application filed December 21, 1931, Serial No.

VEGETABLE FIBER-E;

This invention relates to a new or improved machlne for use in scouringeither Wool and fibers,

other animal fibers or vegetable and for washing or cleaning yarns,

'5 textile fabrics or the like, and has for its primary objects reducingthe time and number of vats at present required to effectually scour thefiber or cleanse fabrics or the like,

thereby saving floor space, power and labour and at the same timeproduce,

a better product, i. e. without stretchfibers, ing, strin in the case ofging or matting, than is posslbie with existing scouring machines.

The present invention comprises a vat or suitable c the fibers them in aontainer having means for feeding into one end thereof and deliverscoured condltion at the other end,

means for subjecting the fibers preferably on entry to pressure jets orsprays of scouring solution or fluid, said jets or sprays being soarranged as to facilitate the breaking up or separation of the mass offibers, and means for subjecting the fibers to an intermittent pressingor squeezlng action during their I travel through the scouring solutionin the container, said means preferably consisting in passing ers and athe fibers between pressure rolltravelling belt or between the sur facesof a pair of travelling belts pressed to ether or an equivalentarrangement.

This in vention will be now more particularly described making referenceto the accompanyi Figs. 1

sectional side elevation of ng drawing in which and 1 1s a diagrammaticview in a machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in sectlon on line lI-II of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3

and 4 are broken views in side elevation and plan respectively of amodification, and Fig. 5 i a further Throughout r marked with like s abroken View in side elevation of modificatlon.

letters of reference.

A vat or container 41 is provided at its one end with wool or fibersinto the machine.

ing devic provided the views similar parts are- 582,381,' and in GreatBritain. January 9, 1931.

adapted to engage and evenly feedthe wool or fibers down an inclinedplane or chute a situate at the forward end of the vat a. A tube 0provided with jets or nozzles is carried within the vat a near the chutea This tube is in communication with a supply of scouring liquid whichis delivered to the jets or nozzles under considerable pressure. Thejets or nozzles are so arranged as to cause the liquid issuing therefromto impinge on and cause motion in the mass of fibers moving down thechute a thus tending to break up or separate the fibers one from theother and rid themin the case of wool from the bulk of suint, sand andother impurities. The jets of solu tion or fiuid tend to separate outthe scouring solution and cause precipitation of the sand and otherimpurities, at the same time allowing the lighter matter, such as suint,to float to the top of the liquid. The vat a is provided with aperforated false bottom a and the sides and bottom a are preferablysloped as shown to form sumps into which the heavy impurities tend tosettle and which may be emptied by means of valved outlets a Above andpartly within the vat a and for the greater part of its length ismounted an endless belt (Z passing over drums (Z (Z one or both of whichmay be driven from any convenient source of power. The axle of the drum(Z is preferably driven by a belt in passing round a pulley m on saidaxle. The lower part of the belt d is arranged below the normal level gof the scouring solution in the vat a. The scouring solution may becaused to circulate or flow through the vat and may be drawn off througha strainer out let M. The lower part of the belt cl is given anundulatory movement during its travel by passing over and under aplurality of transversely arranged spring pressed rollers or drums e androllers f. The said rollers exert a squeezing action on the fiberspassing between the under surface of the lower part of the belt (Z andthe peripheries of the rollers e. The bearings for the axles of therollers e are preferably pressed upwardly by means of compressionsprings, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2. forated as shown moreparticularly in Fig. 2.

The belt (Z is preferably per- Between the rollers e are carried shapedtrays g which are preferably perforated. The rear end of each tray 9 isat its sides slotted to fit over the axles of the rollers 6 so as to befree to rock thereon and the forward edge of the tray rests on theperiphery of the roller immediately in front of it to act as a scraper.

The fibers on entering the solution are first acted upon by the jetsissuing from the pipe- 0 which also cause the fibers-a-lso helped by theflow of the liquid through the vat-to move over the first roller 6 intocontact with the under side of the belt (Z. The fibers are then carriedalong through the vat between the belt and the rollers being alternatelysqueezed and compressed and allowed to expand and absorb fresh liquor ineach of the trays g.

After the fibers have passed to the outgoing end of the machine, theyare automatically carried. to the rinsing or swilling vat 72 by anysuitable form of conveyor. A convenient construction is that shownwherein an endless belt 71 passes over the last spring pressed roller 0,pulleys 2' above the surface of the liquids in both the vats a and 71/and drum 2' the eriphery of which is or may be below the suri zice ofthe water or rinsing solution in the vat 71 The belt i is in contactwith the belt (Z as it passes over the drum (Z and the fibers areprevented from riding round with the main belt (Z by 'means of jets 0 ofliquid or air under pressure or by suitably placed scrapers. The fibersare then carried by the belt '2', being guided thereon by guides 71beneath a spring pressed drum i which serves to express the majorquantity of scouring solution from the fibers which are then depositedinto the swillingliquid in the vat it.

Any fibers adhering to the belt 2' as it passes upward over the drum areremoved by jets c of fluid under pressure. Other jets c of fluid underpressure tend to carry the fibers on to an endless belt 7:, which iscarried by pulley 73 7a", is, W, k and 70 so that the fibers areconveyed through the solution in the vat h. Above the pulley 70 70 arearranged spring pressed rollers Z Z in order to squeeze the washingsolution from the fibers in their upward passage out of the vat.

The partially dried fibers are then blown from off the surface of thebelt is by air jets m into a container a.

The sides of the vat a (see Fig. 2) may be provided witlrgi'itters ortroughso for the purpose of draining ofi the suint or wool fat thatfloats on top of the scouring solution. For this purpose, the gutters oare provided with perforations 0 near the level 3 of the liquid in thevat a. The suint is removed from the gutters 0 by outlet pipes 0 In themodification shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a pair of belts (Z, d, are used inplace of a single belt at the fibers passing between said belts d, (Zeither one or both of which may be perforated. In such case, the upperrollers f are preferably spring pressed downwardly on to supportingrollers 6 The belts between the pairs of rollers f and 6 may be openedout by means of stream lined shaped guide plates 7) arranged at thesides of and between the belts, their function being to guide and closethe fibers together before the latter pass to thenext pairof rollers.

In the further modification shown in Fig. 5, a chain or linked belt 1'is arranged above and driven at the same speed as the main belt (1 whichis supported by'rollers 6 The belt 7' carries a plurality of presserplates a hinged at s to saidv belt, which plates are provided with: ca'mor spring shaped upper parts adapted to contact with stationary rollerst as the belts are traversed.

It will be appreciated that the fibers, carried on the surface of thebelt (,l, which is preferably perforated, are alternately compressed bythe plates 5' against the surface of the belt (Z.

I declare that what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-:

1. A machine for use in scouring fibers and the like comprising acontainer adapted to contain scouring liquid therein, means for feedingthe fibers into one end of said container below the surface of theliquid therein and delivering the fibers in a scoured condition at theother end, submerged jets of scouring solution under pressure arrangednear the feeding end of the container to separate the fibers, and meansfor subjecting the fibers to an intermittent squeezing action whilstsubmerged beneath the surface of the scouring liquid, as set forth.

2. A machine for use in scouring fibers and the like comprising acontainer adapted to contain scouring liquid therein, means for feedingthe fibers into one end of said container' below the surface of theliquid therein, submerged jets of scouring solution under pressurearranged: near the feeding-end of the container to separate the fibers,means for subjecting the fibers to a series of intermittent squeezingactions whilst submerged beneath the surface of the scouring liquid, arinsing vat at the delivery end of the container, means for deliveringand squeezing the fibers and freeing them from excess scouring solution,jets of rinsing liquid under pressure arranged near the entry end of therinsing vat, means for conveying the fibers through the rinsing liquidin the vat and squeezing them after removal from the liquid and meansfor automatically delivering the squeezed fibers to a container, as setforth. j

3. A machine for use in scouring fibers and the like comprising acontainer adapted to contain scouring liquid therein, meansfor feeding)tainer elow the surface of the liquid therein the fibers into one end ofsaid con-' and delivering the fibers in a scoured condition at the otherend thereof, submerged jets of scouring solution under pressure arrangednear the feeding end of the container to separate the fibers and meansfor subjecting the fibers to a series of intermittent squeezing actionswhilst submerged beneath the surface of the scouring solution consistingof a longitudinally arranged endless travelling belt the lower part ofwhich is submerged beneath the scouring liquid, a plurality of rollersbetween which and the under surface of the lower part of the belt thefibers are forced to pass, and means for resiliently mounting saidrollers so as to cause an intermittent squeezing action on the submergedfibers during their passage through the bath, as set forth.

at. A machine for use in scouring fibers and the like comprising acontainer adapted to contain scourin liquid therein, means for feedingthe fibers into one end of said container below the surface of theliquid therein and delivering the fibers in a scoured condition at theother end thereof, submerged jets of scouring solution under pressurearranged near the feeding end of the container to separate the fibersand means for subjecting the submerged fibers to pressure during theirtravel through the bath consisting of a pair of longitudinally arrangedtravelling belts yielda ly pressed together at intervals and betweenwhich the fibers are carried beneath the surface of the scouring liquidas set forth.

5. In a machine for use in scouring fibers and the like comprising acontainer adapted to contain scouring liquid therein, means forsubjecting the fibers to pressure during their travel through the bathconsisting of a plurality of presser plates pivoted to a longitudinallyarranged belt travelling beneath the solution in the bath, and means forexerting intermittent pressure on the fibers passing between said platesduring their passage through the bath, as set forth.

EU GENE VEQTQR HAYES-QRATZH

